Mother Bear Leads Cubs Into Harm’s Way

This clip of a female brown bear leading her cubs to a fishing hole seems natural enough. But this being the Internet, you know that the video has some entertaining surprises in store. I won’t spoil the plot, but let’s just say that this is very bad behavior on behalf of the mother. Bears, like lions, practice infanticide, where a mature male will kill young cubs so that the female comes into estrous and breeds. Typically, mother bears avoid congregations of bears, particularly if large males will be present. As for this particular incident, there are plenty of salmon and fishing holes in Alaska; let’s just hope this mom picks a more secluded spot.

Joe Byers has more than 1,000 magazine articles in print and is currently a field editor with Whitetail Journal, Predator Xtreme, Whitetails Unlimited, Crossbow Revolution, and African Hunting Journal magazines. He’s spent the last three decades depicting the thrill of the chase and photographing the majesty of all things wild. Byers is a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association and numerous other professional and conservation organizations.